Many employers find nowadays that at least some workers are unable to read, write, or do simple arithmetic beyond the lowest levels (if at all). Management wants to give the employees mandatory training in these areas, but not if that means incurring overtime costs when the instructional time causes the employees' hours worked to exceed 40 in a workweek. But, under the right circumstances, there is a little-known way to increase employees' basic academic abilities without having to pay FLSA overtime premium for the time they spend learning.

The General FLSA Training Rules

The U.S. Labor Department (DOL) says that time spent in employer training generally must be considered compensable work, unless four criteria are met. That is, the training time has to be added together with the employee's other hours worked, including for overtime-pay purposes, except where:

? The employee's attendance is truly voluntary;